Coordinator’s Corner

Gifts of Hope is now beginning its 16th season! The Synod-wide total of money raised by Gifts of Hope purchases now stands at more than $2 million! It is not an understatement that congregational coordinators are the key to the success of Gifts of Hope. YOU introduce and promote the program to your congregation. YOU make Gifts of Hope an important part of your congregation’s Advent and Christmas seasons. YOU conduct the sales events, receive and account for the proceeds, and YOU see that the necessary records are kept. The thousands of less fortunate people who benefit from Gifts of Hope every year depend on YOU for the blessings that they receive through this program. Thank you for your help in making Gifts of Hope work.

Below you will find the Congregational Guidelines for Gifts of Hope 2007. Please review and share them with other members of your committee.

Items In Your Packet

Packets were delivered by your Conference Coordinator. Some items in the packet may be downloaded from this web site. If any of these items is missing from your package of materials, contact your Conference Coordinator or print from the web site.

Note: PDF requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, click here to download.

Note: PDF files can be downloaded, but can not be modified. Word Documents may be tailored to your use.

2007 Catalog PDF file
Gifts of Hope Cards - cannot be prnted from the web site.
Envelopes for Cards - cannot be prnted from the web site.
Gift Description Inserts (39 sheets [1 for each gift], 4 inserts per page) PDF file - MASTERS, 39 sheets with 4 per page. Use to make copies to hand out with cards.
Order Form PDF file - MASTER, use to make copies for sales events and bulletin inserts.
Deposit Summary Form (for weekly tallying) PDF file - MASTER, make enough copies to have one for each sales event.
Synod Remittance Form PDF file - Make two(2) copies, one for congregational record, one to send to the GoH Treasurer. The original is sent to the synod office as the final report.
Guidelines for Congregational Treasurers PDF file
Publicity materials. Word file. See below.

Overview of the Gifts of Hope Program

Is this your first year as Gifts of Hope coordinator? Or would a refresher be helpful to you? Here’s a summary of the program and of your responsibilities. The full set of Guidelines can be accessed on the website, or contact your Conference Coordinator for a copy. The 2007 Gifts of Hope Catalog contains 39 gifts, at various prices, that can be purchased by members of your congregation (and others) and given to deserving people through our Metro DC Synod’s social ministry organizations and our foreign companion synods in El Salvador, Namibia and Slovakia. Your congregation can add a 40th gift of your choosing, if you wish. Please limit to one additional gift. Organize sales events before or after services beginning November 18 or 25 and at other events such as Christmas concerts, children’s programs, etc.

What to do

Before the Advent Season:

Form a team trying to involve people who attend different services and are involved in different groups.
Use publicity materials below or write your own article for your October, November and December newsletters and bulletins.
Consider innovative methods, such as using Christmas lights at your table, posting signs in the rest rooms, giving a temple talk, to generate interest in Gifts of Hope.
Make copies of Order forms, Gift Description Inserts, and other forms for which you have the MASTER.
Give the Guidelines for Congregational Treasurer to the treasurer.

At each sales event:

Members of your congregation review the 2007 Gifts of Hope Catalog and select the gift or gifts that they want to purchase.
At sales events organized by you and your committee, shoppers complete the Order Form and give it to you, together with their payment (check or cash). If a reciept is requested for cash fill out a duplicate Order form.
In return, you give to the purchaser three things for each gift purchased: 1) a Gifts of Hope card, 2) an envelope, and 3) an insert describing the gift that was purchased.
The purchaser, in turn, puts each insert in a card and gives the card to a friend or loved one as a gift.

At the end of each sales event, you (or your committee):

Complete the Deposit Summary Form which totals and summarizes the purchases that were made at each sales event. Keep all Summary Forms until the end of the program.
Transmit the Order Forms to the person in the congregation who keeps the records of members’ giving.
Transmit the cash and checks to the congregation treasurer to be deposited in the usual manner that your congregation handles receipts, making sure that the treasurer understands that the amount is for Gifts of Hope.

After the campaign is over:

Complete the Synod Remittance Report by adding up all the weekly Deposit Summary Forms. Be sure your congregation’s number is filled in the upper right hand box. If you are unsure of your number and it has not been preprinted, contact your treasurer or email John Clark
Verify with your treasurer the amount to be remitted to the Synod (for gifts 1–39 only) and ensure that the form and check are mailed to the Synod by January 15, 2008.
Send a copy of the Synod Remittance Report to the GoH treasurer whose name and address is indicated on the form.
And, if applicable, arrange for the direct disbursement of your congregation’s gift #40.
Write an article for your January or February newsletter, thanking the congregation and reporting the total amount of gifts purchased.

The key to your success will be your efforts in organizing your congregation’s Gifts of Hope committee, in publicizing Gifts of Hope to your congregation and in organizing and running your sales events.

GOD’S BLESSINGS be upon you in the coming Gifts of Hope season and THANK YOU for agreeing to be your congregation’s coordinator.

Publicity Materials

You are welcome to create your own publicity materials or use/modify those that follow.

Sample bulletin announcement for late September or October

It’s not too early to start thinking about Gifts of Hope, our Synod’s alternative gift giving program which enables us to purchase unique gifts costing $3 to $250. These gifts reflect the gift God gave us, God’s Son Jesus Christ. Now is the time to start thinking about substituting a Gift of Hope for a more traditional gift on your list for friends and family. Even young children quickly grasp the importance of a gift going to someone in need. The catalog is available on the web site www.GiftsofHopeMetroDC.org and will soon be available here in our congregation for your review. [ add time and place if possible]

Sample newsletter article for October

Leaves are beginning to fall…Halloween decorations appear…Have you started thinking about Christmas? Don’t laugh, many of us want to avoid the rush of the commercial Christmas season at the Mall. There is another way to celebrate, by giving thanks and gifts in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. For 15 years, Gifts of Hope has offered the opportunity for Lutherans in this Synod to purchase meaningful gifts which demonstrate God’s love for all God’s children, while raising more than $2 million to support our local social ministry organizations and foreign companion synods. The 2007 Gifts of Hope catalogs will be available soon [or fill in the exact date]…Start now to talk about alternative gift giving among your friends and family. If you would be honored to receive a Gift of Hope, why not drop that hint. Even if your relatives live out of town, they can purchase Gifts of Hope because the gifts, complete with their attractive announcement cards, are available through the mail at www.GiftsOfHopeMetroDC.org. If you need more information or would like to help with Gifts of Hope at [fill in name of congregation], talk to [fill in name], Gifts of Hope Congregational Coordinator.

Sample bulletin article for November or December

Because of purchases of Gifts of Hope during the 2006 Christmas season students were able to get to SE Ministry classes and training sessions because of Metro farecards given to them. One hundred and eighty-five snacks were given to children at the LSS Camp Safe Haven. Lutheran Volunteer Corps members provided medical care for low income families. See the 2007 catalog and make your purchases so others will be aided. [add details of when and where]

Attention Christmas shoppers! Gifts of Hope is your opportunity to purchase unique gifts that honor Christ’s birth and benefit our Synod’s social ministry organizations and foreign companion synods. It opens [add details of sales events -when and where] Pick up a catalog today so you can share it with your family and consider the possibilities for honoring each other and our God with these alternatives to commercial gifts. There are gifts for every pocketbook at prices from $5 to $250. Printing costs are contributed by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and all work is done by volunteers. That means every penny you spend goes directly to aid those in need.

Hey kids, want to buy a special present for a friend, your teacher, or grandparents? Ask your parents to show you the Gifts of Hope catalog and explain it to you. Your present will help someone who really needs help, and it also shows that you know why Christmas is important. You might buy an ice cream treat ($3) for a needy child or books ($5) for children who don’t have books at home. You will find other presents in the catalog [when and where].

Sample newsletter article for November or December

Gifts of Hope is now starting its 16th year, and you may want to find new ways to present Gifts of Hope cards! Do you personalize your cards? You can glue the insert to the inside left side of the card and add some Christmas stickers. You can copy the insert in a different color and cut the edges with pinking shears or other scissors that make a decorative edge. A glitter pen can add a nice touch. Artsy crafty people can think of many more options. Adding personal touches can enhance Gifts of Hope you send through the mail. Many of us do mail Gifts of Hope cards to relatives or friends far away, but how can you make your Christmas gift exchanges special? Here are some ideas. The cards can be put in a gift bag with pretty tissue paper. Traditionalists may put the card in a box and wrap it up. Some tuck cards in Christmas stockings, but in my family, we punch a hole in one comer, thread a brightly colored ribbon through and hang the envelopes on the tree. One fun thing to do is to find a tiny gift representing the Gift of Hope announced in the card and wrap the two together. Are you filling a prescription for a Fellowship Square resident? Wrap it with a small bottle of aspirin. Is your choice a camp scholarship? Add some mosquito repellent. Or are you giving a toy to a homeless child? Combine the card with a tiny teddy bear. Young children will be delighted to open the present and you can explain why the gift helps others.

More to come...when YOU submit it to GiftsOfHope@LutherPlace.org